We are very pleased to report that last Thursday Mayor Gray unveiled a FY2014 budget that offers significant investments in safety net programs. In this post we will evaluate his budget based on how it fulfills our human rights standards of protecting dignity, advancing equity, and ending poverty in the District.

Remind me again: who lost the past election? Oh...yes, it was Mitt Romney, failing to recognize the contributions of millions of Americans, discarding 47% of the population as victims, and proposing that self-deportation was the cure for our broken immigration system.

"We need to redefine what equality is. If we're defining equality as something that is scarce and limited. [Something] that is for a very select few in our community, and that some of us need to wait for a little bit - that's not equality. That's upholding very systematic oppression. " - Janet Mock

At least one of the several oil-friendly corporate authors was apparently paid by Trans-Canada, the corporate applicant for -- and the owner of -- the Keystone pipeline. And that's not all.

So it turns out that friends of the oil industry wrote the environmental impact statement issued by the State Department about the Keystone XL pipeline on March 1. That's the report that assured people tar sands oil was going to be developed no matter what, and anyway, climate change wouldn't hurt the pipeline.

I was there. And “there” was nowhere. And nowhere was the place to be if you wanted to see the signs of end times for the American Empire up close. It was the place to be if you wanted to see the madness -- and oh yes, it was madness -- not filtered through a complacent and sleepy media that made Washington’s war policy seem, if not sensible, at least sane and serious enough. I stood at Ground Zero of what was intended to be the new centerpiece for a Pax Americana in the Greater Middle East.

Occupy. Since last fall this word has taken on a life of its own, representing a new mass social movement. Occupy was my first time participating in activism and for many of us who were in that situation, we faced quite the learning curve. In order to build and sustain a successful movement, we need to take the time to reflect on lessons learned while we're grappling with the million dollar question: Where does OccupyDC go from here?

Usually, direct action training is what it sounds like: training in preparation for a direct action. Sometimes, however, the training itself is the action. Consider this story. The members of a hospital workers union were frustrated because their strike was being disregarded by the employer. The formerly locally-owned Pennsylvania nursing home where they worked had been taken over in the 1980s by a Canadian corporation that wanted to break the union.

With Obama’s recent announcement of an influx of 30,000 troops into Afghanistan, the occupation of Iraq seems to have fallen off the radar despite the looming 7th anniversary of the US invasion coming up on March 19th. However with elections coming up on March 7th, rising sectarian tensions, conflict over oil, and a population devastated by unemployment and decimated infrastructure, we feel it’s important for anti-war activists to know what’s going on in the country.

US Army First Lieutenant, was the first officer to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq June 2006 while stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. He was court martialed in February 2007, which resulted in a mistrial, and is still in the Army while legal proceedings play out.

IVAW member Matthis Chiroux announces his refusal to show up for activation

Sgt. Matthis Chiroux, who served in the Army until being honorably discharged last summer after over four years of service in Afghanistan, Japan, Europe and the Phillipines and is currently in the IRR, publicly announced his intention to refuse orders to show up for activation.

While home on leave in January 2007, Army Spc Kimberly Rivera made the life changing decision that she would not be returning to the Iraq War. Instead, she packed up the family car and drove to Canada with her husband and two children. She is currently one of about fifty AWOL US war resisters who are openly seeking sanctuary in Canada. This is her story.

Also now available, Courage to Resist audio interview with Kimberly. December 4, 2007

DC has a rich history of housing cooperatives, in which each resident owns a share of the entire property, not just their unit. While relatively unknown, there are at least 120 co-ops in DC, many of which are a great source of stable, affordable housing.

In a cooperative, each resident owns a share in the corporation that owns their property, entitling them to reside in a specific unit. The corporation has a board of directors and a management company, which maintains the property, screens new residents, and determines monthly fees or carrying charges.

00 WPC EVENTS Demand Justice and Accountability from ICE* Wednesday, September 3rd, 4pm Offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 425 I St. NW On August 25, agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) descended on Howard Industries in the small town of Laurel, Mississippi. Agents arrested 595 workers in the largest immigration raid in U.S. history. Workers have been separated from their families and the local immigrant community has been terrorized. The superintendent of the county school district reported that half of the 160 Latino students were absent from school the next day. "Basically, they create a major humanitarian crisis for families and spouses and children," Bill Chandler of the Jackson-based Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance (MIRA) told the *Hattiesburg American*. In some cases, he said, both parents were now gone in the raid, leaving their families totally alone. The ACLU is investigating cases of civil rights abuses that took place during the raid. "We are deeply concerned by reports that workers at the factory where the raid occurred were segregated by race or ethnicity and interrogated, the factory was locked down for several hours, workers were denied access to counsel, and ICE failed to inform family members and lawyers following the raid where the workers were being jailed," M¢nica Ram¡rez, a staff attorney with the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project who is meeting with family members, said in a statement. At this rally and press conference, activists from the Washington area immigrant rights movement will gather to speak out against this raid and demand an end to raids and deportations. The Mississippi raid comes shortly after a devastating raid at Dulles Airport and a smaller action in suburban Maryland just this week. *Sponsored by the D.C. Alliance for Immigrant Justice and the Metro D.C. Interfaith Sanctuary Network* Contact: David Thurston Administrator Metro D.C. Interfaith Sanctuary Network 646-382-4181 (cell) for more information. Interfaith Circle for Chants, Prayers & Teachings for Peace 7 - 9:30 p.m. Thursday, September 11th Sandy Spring Friends Meeting, 17715 Meeting House Rd, Sandy Spring, MD "Reclaiming Tools from the Kabbalah and Sufism for Peacemaking in the Middle East". Interfaith Circle for Chants, Prayers & Teachings for Peace, (in Arabic, English & Hebrew). Presenters: Eliyahu McLean and Ghassan Manasra from Israel/Palestine are leading Jewish and Muslim scholars and religious leaders who have dedicated their lives to peacemaking and bridge building. see www.jerusalempeacemakers.org for their bio Potluck supper at 6:15 p.m. ~Suggested donation - $10.00 ~ For more information, contact: BetteHooverbette@justpeacecircles.org 410-531-5610/202-329-4667 Bronna Zlochiver bronna.zlochiver@gmail.com 301-260-0108 Holly Taya Shere hollytaya@hotmail.com Just Peace Circles, Inc. a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization www.justpeacecircles.org Please Become An Active Member of The Washington Peace Center Office: 1233 12th Street NW, Downstairs The Washington Peace Center is a membership organization and we need your participation! All members are invited to join one or more of our many working groups (listed under our About Us section) as well as attend our monthly meeting, where all members have voting rights. Members are asked to pay suggested annual dues of 25 dollars, or volunteer. Name , Address, Phone Number- E-mail. Please specify any working groups you wish receive information about, and days you can volunteer. Please send us your announcements of events in the area. To be sure the announcement is posted in the Activist Alert, it's good to get it to us at least a week ahead. At the moment we're posting the Alert on Tuesdays. Our E-Mail is wpc@igc.org - subject "membership" Our mailing address is The Washington Peace Center P.O. Box 50032 Washington DC 20019-0032 Phone: 202-234-2000 To subscribe: www.washingtonpeacecenter.org click on "Sign up" Checks can be made out to The Washington Peace Center 01 ANTI-WAR ACTIONS SHED LIGHT ON US WAR CASUALTIES at Walter Reed Every Friday night, from 7 to 9 PM 7200 Georgia Ave., at Elder St., NW SHED LIGHT ON US WAR CASUALTIES: FROM THE FRONT LINE TO THE BACK DOOR Walter Reed Army Medical Center North Gate. Maryland Eyes Wide Open ongoing Baltimore Maryland The Baltimore American Friends Service Committee office has assembled an exhibit Maryland Eyes Wide Open which details the Human Cost of the Iraq War and reflects the costs of war to the state of Maryland. The exhibit consists of at least 40 pairs of combat boots, representing the US military deaths from Maryland; civilian shoes, tagged with names and ages of a very small fraction of the tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis who have died; a representative pair of combat boots and 7 red poppies, representing the estimated number of wounded US military personnel (approximately 7 times the number of dead); and signs and literature detailing the human and financial costs of the war on the cities and counties of Maryland. AFSC will help with logistics and contribute to your planning for auxiliary events or activities presented in conjunction with the exhibit. For information on obtaining and displaying the exhibit, call 410-323-4200, extensions 20 or 21 or e-mail at tsteele@afsc.org or ggillespie@afsc.org. Go to www.afsc.org/midatlantic/baltimore-programs.htm. War Tax Boycott Ongoing This fall, the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee urges all who oppose this war to register and prepare for an April 2008 nationwide boycott and redirection of the federal income taxes that fuel the war in Iraq. Over the past year, we have voted, lobbied, marched, and taken direct action to end the war in Iraq. Courageous soldiers have refused to fight the war. But Congress has appropriated billions of dollars to continue the war and appears ready to authorize a future military attack on Iran. It's time for taxpayers who oppose this war to join together in nonviolent civil disobedience and show Congress how to cut off the funds for this war and redirect resources to the pressing needs of people. War tax boycott participants are encouraged to redirect their resisted taxes to a project providing health care among Iraqi refugees in Jordan and Syria, a health care center in New Orleans providing care to survivors of Katrina, or to a humanitarian project of their own choosing. The 2008 War Tax Boycott is sponsored by National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee and endorsed by Voices for Creative Nonviolence, the National Campaign for National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC) PO Box 150553 Brooklyn, NY 11215 (718) 768-3420 * (800) 269-7464 Weekly Peace Walk on the Mall 4pm, Sundays WWII Memorial (17th Street) Northern Virginians for Peace and Justice sponsors a weekly Peace Walk on the Mall. The walk will be from the World War II Memorial to the Lincoln Memorial and back via Constitution and Independence Avenues. No speeches, no shouting, just dedicated folks showing their opposition to the war through signs and banners. Think of it like going to church on Sunday: a duty imposed by your convictions, an opportunity to take action and influence others, and a chance to see old friends and make new ones. Plus walking is good exercise! Please join us: Sunday, at 4:00 PM at the WWII memorial (17th St.). Bring a sign. We are in solidarity with a group which has been walking around Lake Merritt in Oakland, California every Sunday since 2001. www.lmno4p.org Maryland Bridges for Peace - stand for peace Sundays from noon (or thereabouts) to 1 PM On the Spa Creek Bridge in Annapolis Signs are not allowed to be on a stick or pole. If there is interest, people will be standing on the Stoney Creek Bridge on Fort Smallwood Road in Pasadena 410-437-5379 or magicalgodmom@aol.com. Go to http://BridgePeace.blogspot.com/ Contact Lucy at 410-263-7271 or mdbridgesforpeace@toadmail.com. End the War! End the War Occupation! Rally Thurs., Sept. 4 starting at 5 PM Centre & Charles Sts. Mount Vernon at Centre & Charles Sts. The Pledge gathers in Mount Vernon on the first Thursday of the month to protest the war. For more information Call Max at 410-366-1637. < GI Rights Hotline for counter-recruiting and GI resistance ongoing http://www.objector.org/girights/delayed-enlistment-program.html The GI Rights Hotline is a Front-Line resource for counter-recruiting and GI resistance. Our piece of it logged over 7000 calls in 2005, and was on track for 8000+ in 2006. It also connects with a number of active peace groups spread around the country. We need to recognize the importance of the GI Rights Hotline http://www.objector.org/girights/delayed-enlistment-program.html and its role in reducing the number of recruits who report to boot camp from the Delayed Enlistment Program (DEP); and then we need to take steps to educate the tens of thousands of youth who are in the DEP. Membership in the program does not legally obligate recruits to report to Boot Camp, even though recruiters tell them otherwise. I answer calls to the GI Rights Hotline all day and I am convinced through dozens of conversations that young people frequently join the military because they were pursued by recruiters in their high schools. This is a distinctively different kind of recruit, straight from the heartland. These kids typically don't come from military backgrounds and aren't steeped in military culture. They join because they need the money, training, and education they're promised. They're fed outrageous bullshit from military recruiters -- bullshit fed to them before they sign up -- and while they're in the DEP. I had a kid today in Virginia tell me his recruiter told him this morning that he would "do 5 to 10" if he didn't report. I had another kid today from a Job Corps Program in Kentucky who told me he would be sent to "hard labor & solitary confinement" if he didn't report. A mother from Virginia called me last week after a knock on the door by two MP's and the kid's recruiter, threatening arrest. The kid was cowering in the basement while mom stood strong. All of them came to me through this website: http://www.objector.org/girights/delayed-enlistment-program.htmlhttp://www.objector.org/girights/delayed-enlistment-program.html Protest the AIR FORCE ASSO. Arms Bazaar!! "ARMS BAZAAR!" Tuesday, September 16th, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, 2660 Woodley Rd. NW From September 15-17, the Air Force Association (AFA) is holding its annual Air & Space Conference and Technology Expo--"Arms Bazaar"-- at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. There will be speeches by military officials, lavish meals, parties, and a $200+ per plate banquet. Over 130 military contractors will peddle their newest weaponry and technology to Pentagon officials and agents from other nations. These weapons are used to terrorize and kill people in such places as Iraq, Afghanistan, Colombia, Palestine, and throughout Africa. These weapons fuel the over thirty wars raging around the world today. Top military officials and arms makers, who reap huge profits from weapons contracts, will discuss how the U.S. can maintain global military dominance and control space. To ensure control of nearly half of the earth's resources, the U.S. practices terrorism by acts of military intervention, supplying weapons, military training and aid to corrupt regimes. We call for an end to the "long-war" poilcy of terror. We call for and end to preemptive/ preventive war. We call for an end to all war, especially right now in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is time for the U.S., the world's leading nuclear superpower and arms dealer, to stop dominating other nations, disarm and develop a foreign policy based on nonviolence and the universal declaration of human rights. It is time for the rich and powerful to stop misusing the earth's resoureces for weapons, war and killing. It is time to denounce all racism and scapegoating, alleviate poverty and meet urgent human needs. It is time to declare peace based on justice! Please join us as we decry this scandal and memorialize the victims of poverty and war. In the name of God who calls us not to kill and to beat all weapons into plowshares, in the name of the victims killed by weapons displayed at the Marriott, and in the name of the poor and the children, we demand an end to the AFA Arms Bazaar! Sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker. For more info call: 202-882-9649 or 202-870-0607 The Peace Cycle September 7-9 Jordan, Israel, West Bank, and Brussels The Peace Cycle in Palestine: This is an amazing opportunity for cyclists to visit Palestine to show solidarity, cycle alongside Palestinian cyclists and learn about the realities of life under occupation. When? 14th August to 31st August 2008 Where? Starting in Amman, Jordan, and cycling through Arab villages in Israel, then touring the occupied West Bank meeting with groups, individuals and families, and ending in Jerusalem. How? Cyclists must raise the costs of the trip plus a donation towards humanitarian charities in Palestine. This year, the Peace Cycle will raise funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians. MAP is a UK charity providing support to the health and medical needs of vulnerable Palestinians living in Gaza, the West Bank and across the Middle East. We will then take our campaign for justice to the European Parliament. The Peace Cycle in Europe: Cyclists from all over Europe will converge on Brussels for 2 days of media events and demonstrations to demand the European Parliament takes action to end the occupation and give peace a chance in the Middle East. When? Sunday 7th - Tuesday 9th September 2008 Where? The European Parliament, Brussels How? Arrive in Brussels by Sunday 7th September 2008 TPC2008 will raise money to fund a MAP mobile health clinic for a year. These clinics are becoming ever more vital to Palestinians whose movement throughout the West Bank is increasingly difficult and restricted by the occupying forces. For more information on taking part in TPC2008 email: cyclists@thepeacecycle.com for a cyclists information pack. www.thepeacecycle.com Cost of the Iraq War Rises Higher http://www.nationalpriorities.org/Cost-of-War/Cost-of-War-3.html Cost of the Iraq War Rises Higher. With Congress allocating more money for the Iraq War, NPP notes the new total cost of the war along with state, city, county and congressional district taxpayer costs. * For town, city and county numbers, go to: Local Costs of the Iraq War * For congressional district and state numbers along with what the money could provide your area in terms of services, go to: NPP Database Trade-offs. The taxpayer cost of the Iraq War is broken down for various towns, cities and counties across the U.S. The breakdown is based on a total cost of $378 billion. That is $3,375 for every American household or $1,275 for every American or $2,848 per taxpayers. The money (already spent or allocated) is being spent at a rate nearly $11 million per hour and $255 million per day. The estimate is based on an NPP analysis of the legislation appropriating money for the Iraq War and Congressional Research Service reports. The CRS reports were based not just on Congressional appropriations, but on the Department of Defense's (DOD) DFAS monthly obligations reports indicating funds transferred from other functions to the Iraq War. The state-level costs in the table are computed based on how much each state contributes in tax revenues, according to IRS data. The local-level costs are based on the state costs, and on relative population and income levels in each location. These numbers were updated for the latest IRS data in Sept 2005. The population and household amounts are based on Census Bureau estimates: population for July 1, 2005; households for 2004. The taxpayer http://www.nationalpriorities.org/Cost-of-War/Cost-of-War-3.htmlpschwartz@nationalpriorities.org The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore Meeting Mondays, 7:30 PM AFSC, 4806 York Rd, Baltimore The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore meets on Mondays at 7:30 PM at the AFSC office. Review the dialogue with Rep. Ben Cardin's office, update the ACLU's consideration of a case against the NSA for spying on the Pledge and plan future activities. Polls indicate a majority of U.S. citizens are quite displeased with U.S. policy in Iraq. Get involved with a group working very hard to end the Call Max at 410-366-1637 Demand Corporate Accountability from Motorola/Motorola Israel Ongoing Your home US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. Demand Corporate Accountability from Motorola/Motorola Israel. The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation is excited to announce the launch of our newest corporate accountability campaign-"Hang Up on Motorola". Under international law, all corporations have obligations to uphold, respect and protect fundamental human rights. Motorola Incorporated and its fully-owned subsidiary Motorola Israel profiteer from Israel's illegal military occupation and human rights violations, as we document below. 1. Fuses for aerial devices and munitions Motorola Israel-a fully-owned subsidiary of Motorola Incorporated-produces the 980 Low Altitude Proximity Fuse for the MK-80 series of high explosive bombs. On July 30, 2006, during its war on Lebanon, the Israeli Air Force dropped an MK-84 high-explosive bomb on an apartment building in Qana, Lebanon killing at least 28 civilians, many of whom were children. 2. Communication devices for military occupation The $100 million contract used to develop and supply the 'Mountain Rose' secure cell phone communication system to the Israeli military directly enhances the coordination and monitoring capabilities of the occupying forces in their illegal military operations in the Palestinian territories. Israel routinely engages in gross patters of human rights violations in its military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, including but not limited to the killing and injuring of civilians, torture, extra-judicial assassinations, the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure, acts of collective punishment and economic warfare are but a few examples of Israel's human rights violations. 3. Radar detection devices for Israel's illegal Wall. Motorola Israel supplies Israel with the Wide Area Surveillance System (WAAS) to monitor and maintain the illegal wall/fence barrier it has constructed in violation of the July 2004 International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion. 4. Radar Detection devices for Israel's Illegal Settlements. Motorola Incorporated set up advanced radar detection devices and thermal cameras in 47 Israeli settlements. According to the Fourth Geneva Conventions, Article 49, it is considered a war crime for an Occupying Power to transfer its civilian population into an Occupied Territories. Motorola Incorporated provisions of these systems helps to entrench them on expropriated Palestinian territory, in direct violation of international law. All of these concerns previously were brought to Motorola, yet they have failed to respond to our concerns as well as sufficiently address the concerns by the New England United Methodist Church's divestment task force. Join us to demand that Motorola and its fully-owned subsidiary Motorola Israel: * end its production and sales of fuses for all weapons to Israel * end its production and sales of all communication devices to the Israeli military including all radar detection devices. * end its production and sales of all products that aid and support Israel's illegal settlements. TAKE ACTION: 1. Send a letter to Motorola CEO Greg Brown calling on Motorola to stop profiteering from Israel's illegal military occupation and human rights abuses: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/641/t/2439/campaign.jsp?campaign_KE... 2. Read the US Campaign's letter to Motorola: http://endtheoccupation.org/downloads/CEO%20Letter%20pdf%20file.pdf 3. Download a petition and postcards that you can circulate to educate and organize people on this issue: http://endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1520 4. Sign up to receive an organizing packet: http://endtheoccupation.org/modinput4.php?modin=119organize@endtheoccupation.org 02 MARK YOUR CALENDAR Fair Budget Coalition Annual Meeting 9:30am - 12noon, September 3rd. 1200 U Street, NW. Members this is your opportunity to set the budget & policy agenda for Fiscal Year 2010. Only current FBC members are allowed to participate. If you are unsure about your membership status, please contact me, 202-328-5513. At the meeting we will: Elect Steering Committee members-information below Develop our fiscal year 2010 budget and policy agenda. Identify training needs Plan "days of action", Fair Budget Coalition Steering Committee Nominations 2008-2009 Fair Budget will vote for Steering Committee members September 3, 2008. If you are interested or would like to nominate someone, please forward names to martina@legalclinic.org After the Taliban: Nation-building in Afghanistan Monday September 15, 6:30-8:00 PM 6:30-8:00 PM B1 Conference Center, 1800 K St. NW An Author Series Event with the Honorable James Dobbins. In After the Taliban, Amb. James F. Dobbins probes the relationship between the American military ventures in Afghanistan and Iraq. He demonstrates how each damaged the other, with deceptively easy success in Afghanistan breeding overconfidence and then the latter draining essential resources away from the initial effort. Written by one of America's most experienced diplomatic troubleshooters, this important new book is for readers looking for insights into how government really works, how diplomacy is actually conducted, and most important why the United States has failed to stabilize either Afghanistan or Iraq. Members: $10 Non-Members: $15. Students/Interns: Free. A light reception will be provided. [http://www.worldaffairsdc.org/wac/events/upcomingmore/74] Read More and Sign Up Here! Community Cinema-DC, Chicago 10 Thurs. Sept 4th, 6:30pm Busboys and Poets 2021 14th Street, NW Written and directed by Brett Morgen, CHICAGO 10 presents contemporary history with a forced perspective, mixing bold and original animation with extraordinary archival footage that explores the build-up to and unraveling of the Chicago Conspiracy Trial. NO ADMISSION FEE but RSVP required. email RSVP to: chicago10@communitycinema-dc.org or call 202-939-0794. Open House at Provisions' Library Friday, September 5th, 4-7pm 1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW, suite 1100 Meet members of our board and staff and some of our new neighbors from the Academy for Educational Development, Public Knowledge and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, among other laudable organizations. Refreshments served! Provisions Library, 202-299-0460 NEXT FREE DC MEETING! Tuesday, September 23, 6:30 pm The Wilson Building, 1350 Penn. Ave. NW Due to upcoming national conventions, and the September 9th DC primary, Stand Up! for Democracy in DC Coalition will resume our regular planning meetings on the 23rd. However, stay tuned for our upcoming "Statehood NOW" candidates' forum! Contact, Anise Jenkins, Stand Up! for Democracy in DC Coalition 202-232-2500 for more information. DCPCA 11th Annual Meeting 9:00AM - 5:30PM Tuesday, October 14th Kellogg Conference Center, Gallaudet University 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002 In their eleventh year hosting cutting-edge conferences on health reform in the District, you are invited to join DCPCA for a day of commitment and action that will emphasize personal involvement and focus on the human connection behind all of their work. Translating the human connection into strategies for reform, they will explore some of DCPCA's new community-oriented initiatives and partnerships, and reflect on what's next for DC government's commitment to the medically underserved. For more information, contact Lee Paczulla at lpaczulla@dcpca.org or (202) 638-0252 (ext. 235) Stand Up! for Democracy in DC Coalition Friday, September 5th, 7pm - 9pm UDC, Van Ness Campus, Building 39, Room 201 The Stand Up for Democracy in DC Coalition will present a "Statehood Now" forum for candidates for Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. "Shadow" Representative and U.S. "Shadow" Senator from District of Columbia. The candidates will be asked to address how they intend to use their offices to achieve statehood for DC. The organization is holding the forum for candidates for Delegate, Representative and Senator because these positions were established specifically to advocate for the District -- and, in the case of the US Senator and Representative, expressly to lobby for statehood, the path chosen by DC voters in a 1980 referendum. The public is invited to participate and admission is free. Candidates will be questioned by a panel of activists and members of the news media (in formation) as well as the audience. Askia Muhammad, news director for WPFW-FM, will be moderator. For information, contact Anise Jenkins, (202) 361-9739, anisej@nifcomm.com, or Bill Mosley, (202) 360-5414, billmosley@comcast.net. The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation has a book club now ongoing anywhere US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation War with No End, US Campaign Book Club Selection. The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation is pleased to announce the start of a monthly book club. Each month, we'll select a new book which we think you might be interested in reading. The inaugural book for our new Book Club is "War with No End," an important new anthology of essays published by Verso Books in conjunction with United for Peace and Justice and the Stop the War Coalition (UK). The book features contributions from two US Campaign Steering Committee members, Judith LeBlanc (Introduction) and Phyllis Bennis ("The Global War on Terror: What It Is, What It's Done to the World"). Other important essays include. * "Come September," by Arundhati Roy * "Human Shield," by John Berger. * "Songs of Resistance," by Haifa Zangana. * "Weddings and Beheadings," by Hanif Kureishi. * "Down! Up!," by Joe Sacco. * "Mezzaterra," by Ahdaf Soueif. * "Homeland Wars," by Tram Nguyen. * "Not in Our Names," by Sept. 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. * "Building a Booming Economy Based on War with No End: The Lessons of Israel," by Naomi Klein. You can purchase this book for $15 (plus $2 shipping and handling) by clicking here: http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?list=type&type=142 From the book's back cover: "On October 7th 2001, US-led forces invaded Afghanistan, marking the start of George Bush and Tony Blair's "War on Terror." Six years on, where have the policies of Bush and Blair left us? Bringing together some of the finest contemporary writers, this wide-ranging anthology, from reportage and "faction" to fiction, explores the impact of this "long war" throughout the world, from Palestine to Iraq, Abu Ghraib, the curtailment of civil liberties and manipulation of public opinion. Published in conjunction with Stop the War coalition and United for Peace and Justice, it provides an urgent, necessary reflection on the causes and consequences of the ideological War on Terror." Purchase the book and browse the US Campaign's other merchandise at this site: http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?list=type&type=142 Franklin Shelter & The Fight Against Homelessness Monday, Sept. 8th, 6:45 - 8:45pm 1112 16th Street, NW, suite 600 After New Orleans, Washington, DC is among the highest rates of homelessness of any city in the nation. Regardless the DC city government is trying to close Franklin Shelter, by October 1st, at the beginning of hypothermia season. Last year 28 homeless people died ofhypothermia or conditions related to exposure. While there is some organizing and opposing this anti-people measure, the outcry is not enough. Join SALSA for a panel discussion to explore why our area has one of the highest rates of homelessness, why people are homeless, and what you can do to support the Franklin Shelter and be involved in ending homelessness in our region. panelist: Brian Anders, Empower DC, MaryAnn Luby, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless Nancy Lewis, co-founder of Charlie's Place, Jesse Smith, former Franklin Shelter Resident and homeless advocate. This forum is free and open to the public but a $5.00 suggested donation would be appreciated to go to the efforts around keeping Franklin Shelter open. Because space in limited so please pre-register here: http://www.hotsalsa.org/index.php?cid=1000979 or call 202-234-9382. SALSA is a program of the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS). Child Care for All Campaign! 1:00-3:00 PM, Saturday, Sept 6th 2124 Martin Luther King Jr Ave, SE Standing Tall for Quality, Affordable Child Care for All! A Grassroots Advocacy Initiative to Ensure ALL DC Families Have Access to Quality, Affordable Child Care - Including High-Quality Services for Children with Special Needs. Join Us! Reply to parisa@empowerdc.org if you are interested in getting involved with or receiving notices from the Child Care for All Campaign. Or call: (202) 234-9119 BRINGING THE WORLD TO DC! Friday, September 5th, 7pm-10pm Copley Formal Lounge, Georgetown University, 37th & O St. NW Don't miss a unique night of INTERNATIONAL FOOD, DRINKS, ENTERTAINMENT and PRIZES!! Salsa in a sari or dance the bhangra in lederhosen while sampling delicacies from around the world!! Belly Dancing, modern Dance and more! Professional dancers from India, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas Prizes for Best/Original Costumes!! Includes Gift Certificates to Joy of Motion Dance Center and top restaurants in DC. Student Tickets: $30 with student ID - limited number available!! General Tickets: $35 with costume / $40 without costume Tickets price includes: food, open bar (beer, wine, soda), and entertainment. Tickets Cash or Check at the Door. RSVP required by September 4, 2008. To RSVP go to: http://www.dcfilminstitute.org/INVITE/uw/main.php Or contact: Hazami Barmada at 202-758-8085 or Hazami@911unitywalk.org. Sponsored by: The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Christian-Muslim Understanding at Georgetown University and Friends of the 9/11 Unity Walk. Tickets Cash or Check at the Door. RSVP required by September 4, 2008. To RSVP go to: http://www.dcfilminstitute.org/INVITE/uw/main.php Or contact: Hazami Barmada at 202-758-8085 or Hazami@911unitywalk.org. DC Metro Social Forum meeting: 7:00 - 8:00 PM, Wednesday, September 10th La Orilla, 1739 Irving St NW Another world is possible! another US is necessary! We are making our history! walda katz-fishman 301.367.1079 wkatzfishman@igc.org MARYLAND'S SECOND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE CONFERENCE Thursday evening, November 20, 2008 Howard Community College, Columbia MD Restorative Justice is a rapidly growing social movement that emphasizes accountability, healing, and reconciliation in response to harm done to individuals or communities. It encourages the involvement of all affected stakeholders in a process that makes things as right as possible, avoids repeated offenses and builds stronger communities. The conference's goals are to increase the understanding and awareness of the benefits of using restorative practices and principles, to promote increased use of existing restorative justice principles,practices, and programs in Maryland, and to encourage the establishment of new restorative efforts throughout Maryland. For furhter information email info@marylandrjconference.org or call Belinda Reed, MD Chapter Association for Conflict Resolution, at 240-338-8159. The Blessing of Human Labor Sat., Sept. 6th, 5:15 PM National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Michigan Ave., NE, During the mass, the Msgr. George Higgins Award will be presented. Contact, 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski [at] Verizon.net. For more information. 03 COMMUNITY EVENTS Empower DC: Sign the Petition Ongoing until October 1st. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/franklin Franklin Shelter Update / Sign the Petition Dear Friends: We heard from our clients and the Department of Human Services this morning that the men will be allowed to come back to Franklin Shelter tonight on a "first come first serve" basis. We appreciate everything you may have done to push for this reprieve. You may want to thank Mayor Fenty for this decision. Unfortunately, this week's scare may just be the beginning. As far as we know, the plan is still to close Franklin Shelter by October 1st. Please continue to let the Mayor know that you oppose his efforts to close the Franklin Shelter before an adequate alternative downtown shelter site is in place for men experiencing homelessness. (You can e-mail the Mayor at mayor@dc.gov and copy the city administrator at dan.tangherlini@dc.gov, the director of Human Services at clarence.carter@dc.gov, and the City Council at membersonly@dccouncil.us.) We may need to remind the Mayor of his words at the 8/22/2007 Capstat session on "Ending Homelessness": "It [Franklin] will have to close eventually but we can't close it until we get an alternate site downtown." You can also continue to sign the online petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/franklin We'll continue to update you as we learn more from our clients. Thanks again. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/franklin. Seeking a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel Weekly Lunch Rountable Thursdays, 12:30- 1:30 pm Potter's House, 1658 Columbia Rd. NW Potter's House Lunch Time Weekly Roundtable Seeking a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel (Food & Beverages available for Purchasing). Join us for civil discourse and conversation as we explore the history, issues, myths, realities, and truth of the conflict betweenIsrael and Palestine. Alice Azzouzi - Coordinator & Contact Person 202-232-5483 For more information on more events like this contact: Interfaith Peace-Builders 1326 9th St., NW phone: 202.244.0821 www.ifpbdel.org Living Room Dialogues among Jews and Palestinians An upcoming mutually convenient evening or weekend Possibly Your Living Room Marylanders for a Free Palestine and Secure Israel wishes to form a second Living Room dialogue (LRD) among Jews and Palestinians. The LRD program has spread across the US and has proved to be an effective means of bringing people together to model what we would hope could happen in the Middle East. Soon to begin its third year, our first LRD program has been a resounding success. Our members will tell you: nothing can rival this experience. Participants meet once a month in the living rooms of participants (most draw from Baltimore and meetings have been in that in the past). We ask for a commitment of one year. For various months, members tell their stories and programs focus on the group's getting to know one another; the emphasis is always upon compassionate listening. We strive to maintain a group of ten with two "supportive others" who have some facilitation experience. We presently need one Jewish participant and five Palestinian or Palestinian-American participants. We will consider spouses of Palestinians who have roots or whose families have roots in the Middle East. Come to see what you think and whether you'd like to continue. Write or call Ann von Lossberg to sign up (annvl@verizon.net or 410-465-3493) or request further information. 2008 UNITY WALK! Planning Meeting Sunday, September 14, 2008 Washington DC, TBD Please join us on Sunday, September 14, 2008 for the 4th Annual 9/11 Unity Walk. Additional details to follow on the program and other exciting events surrounding this year's Walk. Stay tuned for news on the first planning meeting. In the mean time, we are looking forvolunteers. If interested, please contact me at the information below. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you soon. For more information contact Meg Poole at (202) 939-5895 or via email at mpoole@meridian.org. Coordinating Council Muslim Organizations Community Outreach Iftars Friday October 5th and Saturday October 6th 11am Morgan State University, Student Center, Room 212, Baltimore, MD This is a CCMO community outreach effort for us to join together and collectively provide food to the needy in our community and toys to our children for eid. Volunteers will be available onsite to receive, collect, and assemble food and eid gift bags to then be distributed to Muslim families in the CCMO area wide family. Inshallah, those wanting to be a part of this event, please bring nonperishable foods/zakat-ul-fitra & new toys to either location. (The purpose of Zakat -ul- Fitr is to purify one who fasts from any indecent act or speech and to help the poor and needy.) We'll complete our day of work and fasting with a "bring a dish" Community Iftar & Inspiring Words by Brother Atim Muhammad Imam Faizul Khan & Iman Hassan Amin. Your support is needed! For More Information Please Contact: Asma Hanif: (410) 466-8686 Imam Faizul Khan: (301) 879-0930 Huda Hashim: (301) 613-5272 Isa Williams: (202) 438-9944 Sister Bahijah: (202) 232-7849 Meeting of Ecolocity DC Every Tuesday from 7:30-9:30 733 Euclid St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 Meet other local people who live in, or are interested in making DC a Transition town starting with an Intentional Community, that will encompass Clean Energy, Freecycle, Natural Building, Organic Farming, Community Salvage, New Urbanism & Sustainable Development, Permaculture, Frugal Living/Voluntary Simplicity, Greentrification, Alternative Commerce (e.g. CES/LETS), Greentrepreneurs, Training and Education. We welcome anyone who appreciates the enormity of the perfect storm of peak oil, global warming, food shortage, and economic decline brewing on the horizon. You realize that life as we know it will never be the same and you are prepared to take radical and urgent action in concert with others. http://ecolocity.ning.com A Talk: Racism as a Means of Controlling Labor Sunday 4-6pm, September 7th Busboys and Poets, 14th and V Streets, NW, D.C. Racism has long served U.S. elites as a means of sowing division among working people who collectively have the power to upset the corporate order. Join us for a discussion of how racism works to create divisions among workers and of how racial oppression reinforces class inequality. We will have presenters from a diverse set of organizations who are each grappling with the challenges of organizing workers across lines of difference, whether those of color, language, or culture.Panelists will include those working to organize day laborers and low-wage workers, as well as the challenges posed to labor unions. This event will feature small group discussion as well as a chance to ask questions of our panelists and respond to what they and members of the audience have to say. The 4-month series 'Finding Common Ground' is sponsored by Busboys and Poets, the DC Alliance for Immigrant Justice, and the Metro D.C. Interfaith Sanctuary Network. These events are part of the A.C.T.O.R. series (A Continuing Talk On Race) at Busboys and Poets. Special thanks to DC Jobs with Justice for their contribution to this session. DC Jobs With Justice, 888 16th St, NW suite 520, Washington, DC 20006, (t): 202-974-8224, (f): 202-974-8152 30th Annual Adams Morgan Day Festival 12:00 - 7:00PM Sunday, September 14 Centered around 18th Street from Columbia to Florida Adams Morgan Day Festival celebrates the dynamism and innovation that arises from the melting pot of cultures and their interaction together. Boasting over 250 vendors and four entertainment stages, Adams Morgan Day celebrates international cultures and creativity! Centered around 18th Street from Columbia to Florida, the heart of Adams Morgan surges with excitement. For more information visit www.AdamsMorganDayFestival.com Or call (202) 232-1960. The National Network Opposing Militarization of Youth Website Now Online - http://www.nnomy.org/ One of the main features of the site, which contains more than 500 pages of up-to-date and relevant content, is a national database of organizations doing counter-recruitment and school demilitarization work. The database is searchable by geographical location and the issues around which each group is organizing. We have also compiled a state by state "Job & Job Training Guide" that lists hundreds of non-military opportunities available to youth. This web site will provide an easy way for the national and local media to find counter-recruitment groups when researching topics relating to recruitment and militarism in schools. We are hopeful that those not currently a part of this database will choose to become a part of it in order to help us illustrate a representative snapshot of the counter-recruitment movement.The website provides instructions on how to include your organization in the national database. If you have any questions, want to add your organization's name to the database, or if you want more information about NNOMY please contact Pat Elder: agentforchange@comcast.net Reconstruction Activities in Northeast Afghanistan Thursday, September 11; 2:30-3:30 p.m. 23rd. And Virginia Ave. NW Please join Matthew Asada, who recently returned from a one-year assignment in Kunduz, for a discussion on Reconstruction efforts in the region. RSVP is required. (See RSVP instructions in attached invitation) Photo Identification is required for admittance into the building. Please enter the Department via the 23rd Street entrance where you will be met and escorted to the meeting room. We hope you will join us. Contact:NGO>STATE.GOV for more information. DC McKinney/Clemente Meetup Group Sunday, September 7th, 6 pm Hawk & Dove, 329 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, (Capitol Hill) For all DC Statehood Green Party members, DC area Greens, friends, & supporters of the Cynthia McKinney / Rosa Clemente Power to the People Campaign. This is an invitation from Marian Douglas to join the Washington, DC McKinney/Clemente '08 Meetup Group. This is in addition to David Schwartzman's C-Span house party in Northwest the same evening [details to be announced soon]. This group is public, so please share the news and Meetup group URL. http://cynthiamckinney.meetup.com/7/t/if_4256763/?gj=ej4 The DC Statehood Green Party http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org Join the DC Statehood Green discussion & news list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dcsgp Join the list to receive press releases and important party announcements: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dcstatehoodgreennews Racism as a Means of Controlling Labor Sunday, Sept. 7th, 4 to 6 PM Sept. 7 from 4 to 6 PM Busboys and Poets, 14th and V Sts., NW Racism has long served U.S. elites as a means of sowing division among working people who collectively have the power to upset the corporate order. The 4-month series 'Finding Common Ground' is sponsored by Busboys and Poets, the DC Alliance for Immigrant Justice, and the Metro D.C. Interfaith Sanctuary Network. Call 202-974-8224 for more information. Land and Promise: Israel/The Holy land Sun., Sept. 7 from 2:30 to 8:30 PM Cafritz Conference Center at GWU, 800 21st NW This conference will explore the differences and the practical implications that arise from them, as well as suggest possible ways to achieve mutual understanding. Register at http://www.jewishlutheranconference.eventbrite.com/. JOHN PODESTA, THE POWER OF PROGRESS Wednesday, September 10 at 12 noon Center for American Progress Action Fund, 1333 H St., NW, 10th Fl. John Podesta, former chief of staff for President Clinton, explains how progressive values changed America in the wake of the Gilded Age and how these values will reshape America after the Bush presidency. Following the tradition of great progressive leaders from Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt to Martin Luther King. Jr., The Power of Progress outlines a government responsive to the needs of its citizens, one that strives to combat global warming, grow our economy, expand the middle class, and meet America's twenty-first-century security challenges. There is no cost for this event. Please RSVP in advance by calling the Center for American Progress Action Fund at 202-682-1611. Copies of the book, provided by Politics and Prose Bookstore, will be available for purchase. Store Sale at Politics & Prose Bookstore 9am - 10pm , September 12th, 13th, and 14th 5015 Connecticut Avenue, NW Among the first things coming up this September is the Fall Member Sale. As always, for these three days almost everything in the store is discounted 20% for Politics and Prose members; CDs are 15% off, and DVDs 10% off. For more information cal, (202) 364-1919 or (800) 722-0790 Fax: (202) 966-7532, or online at: www.moderntimescoffeehouse.comwww.politics-prose.com e-mail: books@politics-prose.com PEACE MEAL SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6th. at 1:00 P.M 4209 East West Highway, Chevy Chase MD, All welcome. Peace meals include a hot, home cooked vegetarian meal, and an educational film following the talk. As usual there is no charge for this monthly event. This is a unique opportunity specially for the members of the CSA that have not had a chance to visit the farm in Kimberton where we get our vegetables from, or to meet Sebastian, farmer of that Demeter certified farm. It is an excellent opportunity to show him our gratitude for the very special work he does and more so this year that he will be growing not only greens but roots for our winter CSA; this is an effort that not every farmer is willing to make. We will hear about the many significant improvements he has introduced to the Camphill Village Farm. Some of these include the building of green houses; introducing bio-diesel for farm equipment; creating a berm to absorb heavy rains and avoid flooding; installing a "quite civilised" composting toilet for workers and visitors (the "humanure" is then used for non-food crops); and incorporating a number of different animals into the farm, including rams, pigs, and donkeys, all of which enrich the farm in unique ways. Finally, Sebastian is deeply committed to the mission of www.spiritualfoodcsa.org DC Guerilla Poetry Insurgency Every 3rd Monday, 6:30pm Dupont Circle, (near the fountain) An amplified poetry/spoken word/hip hop open mic held in a public space featuring voices, drums/musical instruments, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and noisemakers all available for public use. Lyrical Ambushes create a family friendly festival-like atmosphere, while filling the airwaves with progressive political messaging on themes such as racism, social justice, war vs. peace, corporate domination vs. meaningful democracy, the war on drugs and the misuse of fear to degrade civil liberties, etc. Ambushes consist of picking a time and a place, attracting a diverse set of artists and putting on a show of artistic resistance composed of whoever shows up. See:http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/dcguerillapoetry For more information: dcguerrillapoet@gmail.com Activist Networking on http://internationalpeaceandconflict.ning.com Ongoing Online http://internationalpeaceandconflict.ning.com This is a free professional networking site to encourage interaction between individuals & organizations worldwide involved in development, human rights, civil society development, conflict resolution, democratization, and related fields. Members are encouraged to dialogue and share resources. You can find local partners and practitioners around the world as well as exchange best practices. In addition members can create their own blogs. Craig Zelizer, Ph.D. E-mail: cz52@georgetown.edu Tel: (202) 687-0512, Fax: (202) 687-0697 COMMUNITY FORUM/Short film screening W/ SHORT FILM SCREENING COMMUNITY FORUM W/ SHORT FILM SCREENING Tues. Sept 9th, 6:30pm - 8:30pm Reeves Center, 14th & U St. NW, WDC Empower DC'S People's Property Campaign has united District residents to save public property - schools, libraries, parks and other public spaces - for public use, not private profit. Campaign members drafted Bill 17-0527 requiring significant public input and consideration of public uses and needs when developing public property. The Bill awaits approval by the City Council.mTake Back the Land fought against gentrification by seizing public land and building a shantytown, housing over 150 otherwise homeless people. They now identify foreclosed homes and move families in- without permission from the government or the bank. Come find out how you can help save your community at this important forum. sponsored by: Empower DC & Take Back the Land more info/RSVP to Empower DC: 202-234-9119 parisa@empowerdc.orgwww.EmpowerDC.org Piedmont Blues Birthday Party Saturday, September 6, 8pm 3134 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD Acoustic blues guitarist "Bowling Green" John Cephas celebrates his birthday with harmonica master Phil Wiggins, playing the syncopated, blues indigenous to the southeast Piedmont. Players Eleanor Ellis, Rick Franklin & Michael Baytop of DC's Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, aka "The Barbershop", celebrate Piedmont master Edwards' (1918-1998) who has a Sept B'day too! Creative Alliance at the Patterson, 410.276.1651 for more information. Rhythm Workers Union 7-9 p.m., First Tuesdays Emergence Community Arts Collective (ECAC), 733 Euclid St NW 20001, 2nd floor The first hour will be a drumming workshop (newbies and beginners encouraged to attend) and during the second hour a jam session will ensue. Other instruments and dancers more than welcome. Our goal is to use rhythm, music and song to promote peace and unity. If possible, please bring a donation for the workshop to help RWU pay for the space. Email kristen@drumlady.com for questions, or call her at 202/213-7810. WRITING WORKSHOP Last /Sunday of the month, 2pm - 3:15 pm Politics & Prose Bookstore 5015 Connecticut Avenue, A Teen Writing Workshop takes place the last Sunday of every month from 2-3:15 in the Remainder Room. www.capitolletters.org . 04 ARTS & CULTURE Poetry in Motion Every 1st Friday of the Month, 7pm Cathedral of Christ Baptist Church, 5354 Sheriff Road, Chapel Oaks, MD. Featured poets, followed by open mic For more information call:(202) 287-5997 or (202) 297-6225. http://somethinginspirational.net Resistance Art, "Colors from Palestine" Ongoing Online! - http://www.resistanceart.com/products.htm The 2008 "Colors from Palestine" calendar is to mark the 60th year of the 1948 Palestinian Nakba (The catastrophe, the dispossession and displacement crimes against the Palestinian people in 1948). We dedicate the "Colors from Palestine" 2008 to the memory of our fallen hero Naji Al-Ali. In a simple and forceful way, Naji cuts though all lies and disguises and brings the truth to the people. Naji is perhaps best known as the creator of the character Handala, who is depicted as a ten-year old refugee boy. Handala appeared for the first time in Al-Siyasa newspaper in Kuwait in 1969; and he turned his back to the viewer from the year 1973, and clasped his hands behind his back a symbol of rejection of all the present negative tides in our region. To view all the art work and the information about the 2008 calendar visit: http://www.resistanceart.com/2008_Front_Back_Covers.htm To buy the calendar and other material; please visit: http://www.resistanceart.com/products.htm For more information: Mohammad Said, mohammad@resistanceart.com, 416-485-1438 US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation: Palestinian Fair Trade Olive Oil Ongoing Online Supporting Palestinian farmers is a way that we can help Palestinians to non-violently resist Israel's military occupation and to remain on their lands. That is why the US Campaign is very pleased to announce that it is teaming up with our friends at Canaan Fair Trade to bring you Palestinian fair trade olive oil delivered directly to your door. The US Campaign is now selling packages of four one-liter tins of Palestinian fair trade olive for just $80 (plus $10 shipping and handling). To order: http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?list=type&type=142 YO!DRUM !!! 7-9 p.m., FIRST WEDNESDAY of the month St Stephens Church 1525 Newton St, NW Auditorium "Yo! Drum" - is a 2 hour healing arts and skills building workshop. Are you stressed at work, fatigued often? Tired and unenergized about life in general? Or, do you just need some inspiring people to be around? This is your opportunity to become ONE with the drumming of Kristen Arant and experience the poetry and yoga of Hawah. This new workshop for 2008 called, "Yo! Drum," will be offered from 7 - 9 PM on the first Wednesday of every month, and offers 50 minutes of yoga and 50 minutes of drumming. Explore your inner self, stretch, unwind and experience the power of community vibration. We will liven your ears and tickle your senses. If you have one, bring a yoga mat, a drum and a musical instrument (if not, no worries, we have extras). Most of all, bring an open heart and mind. The workshop session will be accessible and taught for all student levels. Come Early! These workshops are fundraisers for One Common Unity and the dynamic Young Women's Drumming Empowerment Project. Registration is $25 per class, you can pay upon arrival. Scholarships and barter exchanges are available, so contact if needed. For those who are interested, you can sign up for the entire year, a special 11 classes for $200. These great workshops will help support the Young Women's Drumming Empowerment Project's 4th summer of providing free performing arts workshops to female teenagers in Washngton, DC. So come, bring friends, and spread the word! For More Information visit: www.OneCommonUnity.org or call Kristen Arant at (202) 213-7810 Children's Capoeira Class Tuesdays & Thursdays 5:45 - 7pm, Sundays 1-2pm. August 5 - 31st EMERGENCE COMMUNITY ARTS COLLECTIVE 733 Euclid St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 Capoeira Angola is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines acrobatics, fighting, music, history and philosophy. It is an excellent activity for children since it stimulates coordination, musicality, socialization, discipline and curiosity about other cultures. Classes will be held in a fun and safe environment for children 3-10 years old (classes will be separated into two age (202) 491-8870 or ficadc@hotmail.com Spoken Word @ Joe's Place Thursday Mornings, Midnight - 1 am 529 Bryant St., NW Live radio show on WHUR, 96.3 FM, featuring poetry, music, discussion, special guests. Concentrating on poetry. Hosted by Joe Gorham. For more information call 202- 806-3500 or send an email to Kimberly Washington, Producer at kwashjazz@juno.com A NIGHT OF ART DANCE MUSIC AND MAGIC! 7PM - 9PM-Awards Ceremony, 9PM - 12 Mid. Awards Party THE ARC, 1901 Mississippi Avenue, SE BOFA DC honors, celebrates, introduces and builds support for artists of all disciplines who live, work, and make significant creative and community focused contributions to the arts throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan region. Celebrating its second year, the Urban Artists Alliance (UAA) is pleased to announce the 2nd Annual BOFA Awards Gala. Performances by: Opera Diva Adiodun Koya. Washington Ballet at THE ARC & Davis Center. Dance: BATALA Brazilian Drummers Jimenez Dance Company and the Painted Ladies Project. For ticket information and more information about BOFA-DC: Call: 410-903-857, Urban Artists Alliance, LLC. Email: bofadc@hotmail.com. See website: http://www.urbanartistsalliance.net TRUMBO: RED, WHITE & BLACKLISTED Running until Sept. 28th Studio Theatre, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia Md. The REP Stage opens its 16th season with TRUMBO: RED, WHITE & BLACKLISTED about screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who stood up to the House Un-American Activities Commitee in 1947. Christopher Trumbo, Dalton's son, is the play's author, Steven Carpenter directs and Helen Hayes Award winner Nigel Reed stars. Shows are 7:30 PM on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 PM on Fridays, 2:30 & 8 PM on Saturdays Call 410-772-4900 or go to www.repstage.org . The Poet's Cafe' 7 pm, Every 2nd Friday of the Month Metropolitan Baptist Church, 1225 R St NW Organized by Angela McPherson. Open Mic Poetry. No profanity allowed!!!! For more information call Angela McPherson at 202-238-5009 or fameministry@hotmail.com Sounds of Hope 7pm- 10:30pm, Every 4th Friday of the Month Potter's House Books, 1658 Columbia Rd. NW Venture 4th Fridays Open Mic Presented by Sounds of Hope. Free for performers. Sounds of Hope is a weekly collaboration of local performers, charities and Potter's House presenting an evening of food, entertainment, and community outreach. Requested donations at the door go directly to the performers and charity, and proceeds of sale of dinner and desserts benefit Potter's House. The book service, which carries children's books, poetry, and social justice books, in addition to extensive selections in religion and spirituality, is also open on Friday nights. Admission Varies. For more information send an email to fridaynights@pottershousedc.org or call 202-232-2885. "Antiquities in Iraq:Cultural Heritage and Iraq's Future" Monday, September 8th, 1:30 - 3:30 PM Institute of Peace, 2nd flr. Conference rm., 1200 17th St. NW Ever since the US invasion in March 2003, Iraq's cultural heritage--stretching back to ancient Mesopotamia and the golden age of Islam--has been at risk. Many precious artifacts have been stolen. Despite some improvement, to this day archeological sites are poorly protected and are still being plundered. What happened to Iraq's antiquities in 2003 and what has happened since then? What should the US, Iraqis, and the international community do to protect Iraq's antiquities going forward? What can we learn from the Iraq experience to protect antiquities in conflict zones in the future? A distinguished panel will address these issues and take your questions. Speakers: Matthew Bogdanos, Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps and author of Thieves of Baghdad: One Marine's Passion to Recover the World's Greatest Stolen Treasures (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2005) Michael Dziedzic, Senior Program Officer, Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, United States Institute of Peace Lawrence Rothfield Professor and Research Affiliate, Cultural Policy Center, University of Chicago and author of Antiquities Under Siege: Cultural Heritage Protection After the Iraq War (AltaMira Press, 2008) Donny George Youkhanna. Professor, Department of Asian and Asian American Studies, Stony Brook University (SUNY) and former Director General of the National Museum in Baghdad, 2003-2006 Daniel Serwer, Moderator Vice President, Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, United States Institute of Peace RSVP To RSVP, please send your name, affiliation, daytime phone number, and name of the event to Elizabeth Detwiler at edetwiler@usip.org. Media Inquiries Please contact Ian Larsen (+1.202.429.3870) or Lauren Sucher (+1.202.429.3822) in the Office of Public Affairs and Communications. 05 BOOKS & FILMS Warren Buffet Documentary-I.O.U.S.A 8:00 p.m. ET, 7:00 p.m. CT, 6:00 p.m. MT, 7:30 p.m. PT, Thur, Aug. 21 Local Theater Mazza Gallerie 7 Tyson's Corner 16 Ballston Commons 12 Fairfax Towne Center Lee Highway Multiplex Cinemas A new economics documentary will explore rising gasoline, food and health care costs and offer solutions to the ever-growing financial challenges being faced today. Theatres across America will become community town halls as five of the nation's most notable financial leaders and policy experts engage in a 45-minute LIVE one-night only panel discussion following the viewing of the acclaimed documentary "I.O.U.S.A." Tickets are available at presenting theatre box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com Hoffman 22 Mazza Gallerie 7 Tyson's Corner 16 Ballston Commons 12 Fairfax Towne Center Lee Highway Multiplex Cinemas Sam Threadgill, 213.639.6149 The Promise of Moderation 6:30-8:00 PM, September 8th B1 Conference Center, 1800 K St. NW An Author Series Event with Marwan Muasher. Marwan Muasher's "The Arab Center: The Promise of Moderation"focuses on current issues in the Middle East, notably the road blocks to the Arab-Israeli peace process and on the challenges faced by those who champion a moderate or reform minded policy approach in the Arab World. Students/Interns: Free A light reception will be provided. Books will be available for sale and author signing. [http://www.worldaffairsdc.org/wac/events/upcomingmore/71] Read More and Sign Up Here! After the Taliban: Nation-building in Afghanistan 6:30-8:00 PM, Monday September 15th B1 Conference Center, 1800 K St. NW An Author Series Event with the Honorable James Dobbins. In After the Taliban, Amb. James F. Dobbins probes the relationship between the American military ventures in Afghanistan and Iraq. He demonstrates how each damaged the other, with deceptively easy success in Afghanistan breeding overconfidence and then the latter draining essential resources away from the initial effort. Written by one of America's most experienced diplomatic troubleshooters, this important new book is for readers looking for insights into how government really works, how diplomacy is actually conducted, and most important why the United States has failed to stabilize either Afghanistan or Iraq. Students/Interns: Free A light reception will be provided. Books will be available for sale and author signing. [http://www.worldaffairsdc.org/wac/events/upcomingmore/74] Read More and, Sign Up Here! 06 TRAININGS Grassroots Campaign Strategies Wednesday, Sept. 3rd, 6:45-8:45pm 1112 16th St. NW, Suite 600, WDC There is more than one way to affect policy outcomes and it's easier then you think. Policy makers are willing to listen to your ideas but they will not seek you out -- you must seek them out. The focus of this workshop will be on how to set up and implement a grassroots strategy. Participants will get primers on ways to effect government and policy outcomes that include working on the Register at http://www.hotsalsa.org/index.php?cid=1000991, or call, 202-234-9382 ext.229. News Department Volunteer Training Ongoing WPFW, Adams-Morgan Neighborhood, WDC Listener-funded community radio station WPFW-FM has vacancies for News Department volunteers. All volunteers will receive training and will have immediate opportunities for on-air assignments. There are Early Morning shifts, which are well suited for interested persons who have 'Day Jobs,' and there are shifts available on weekdays from 10 am until 2 pm; and from 2 pm until 6 p.m. Please respond with contact information to: Askia Muhammad WPFW News Director, 202.588.0999 ext 351: and at muhammad_askia@wpfw.org. Free Money Management 101 Financial Education Classes 10am to 12pm, Saturday September 6th Capital Area Asset Builders, 1801 K Street NW, Suite M100, Washington DC 20006 The Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) will begin another series of our free Money Management 101 financial education classes on Saturday, August 2, 2008. Classes are from 10am to 12pm each Saturday. Please call/email us to register. There will be five (5) sessions during this series: August 2: Money Management Overview * August 9: Budgeting Basics * August 16: Understanding Your Credit * August 23: Knowing Your Credit Rights * September 6: Financial Institutions and Products. For more information please call CAAB at 202-419-1440 x104. Qi Gong in the Park Every Satuday 8 - 9AM Malcolm X / Meridian Hill Park @ 16th & W St. NW Qi Gong (pronounced Chee Gong) is an ancient 5,000 year-old healing art consisting of gentle yet powerful exercises that relieve stress, balance energy and improve overall well being. Over 100 million people practiced Qi Gong daily worldwide, particularly in China and many can be seen practicing early mornings in neighborhood parks. Come on out and bring some friends while enjoying a standing and moving meditation workout that will leave you balanced, energized and in a state of bliss. Classes are taught by Manifest Ra, a certified Qi Gong healer/instructor from the Chinese Healing Arts Center and a professional member of the National Qigong Association (NQA). Cost is $10 per class. Bring 2 paying friends and take the class for free. Contact Manifest @ 202.746.4537 FREE classes offered to all DC residents Ongoing Educational Talent Search Program, 4200 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington DC Upon completion of the classes, participants get certifications/licenses and job finding assistance. The only requirements are that participants be a DC resident and have a high school diploma or GED. GED classes are offered for those without either. Classes will be held at various locations throughout Wards 5,7,8. Classes offered in, HVAC, EMT, Certified Nursing, A+ Computers, Medical Office Billing, Home & Health Aide, Intro to Computers, Food Sanitation & Prep, GED and other academic courses ALL CLASSES ARE FREE. Help somebody who needs a boost. Call 202.645.8480 or 202.645.6213 Diallo Sumbry, Program Coordinator (202) 274 - 5463 - office (202) 274 - 7412 - fax (202) 286 - 2688 - mobil

By Bill Quigley. Bill is a human rights lawyer, a law professor at Loyola University New Orleans and author of the forthcoming book, STORMS STILL RAGING: Katrina, New Orleans and Social Justice. A version with all sources included is available. Bill's email is quigley77@gmail.com. For more information see the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center and Policy Link.

0. Number of renters in Louisiana who have received financial assistance from the $10 billion federal post-Katrina rebuilding program Road Home Community Development Block Grant – compared to 116,708 homeowners.

0. Number of apartments currently being built to replace the 963 public housing apartments formerly occupied and now demolished at the St. Bernard Housing Development.

The Washington Peace Center Activist Alert for the week of August 13 - August 120, 2008, is now updated! You can view it by clicking here.Meanwhile, some upcoming events are highlighted below. See you in the streets!

"You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom."- Malcolm X (1925-1965)

‘Wipe off the map’: The Tip of an IcebergA strategy for the falsification of the statements of Iran’s president - by Anneliese Fikentscher and Andreas Neumann (29 July 2008)

"Iran's talk of destroying Israel must not be lost in translation." That is the header of an article in the 'Jerusalem Post' by Joshua Teitelbaum of the 'Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs' [1] on 22 June 2008. If the assertion that Iran wanted to destroy Israel (with an atom bomb) “be lost“, then - so we have to conclude - a threat scenario, built up with

(Remarks of Stephen Fournier on August 6, 2008, at Riverside Park, Hartford, at Connecticut's annual commemoration of the bombing of Hiroshima)

Our descent as a nation into a pit of violence and lawlessness suggests to many of us that Americans are scum. We seem to have learned no lesson from events like the one we commemorate today, and we seem to be unmoved by the most atrocious instances of inhumanity and injustice.

Are we, as our media suggest, a people who crave exhibitions of violence? How is it that our casinos are humming even as our schools turn out illiterates? That we wage war against some of the poorest, humblest populations on earth, and then shun all news about the resulting bloodshed? When our leaders say "Everything is on the table," including atomic bombs, what keeps us from flooding the streets?

The meeting will include a video welcome from Nobel Laureate JodyWilliams, and brief presentations by economist David Schlissel ofSynapse Energy Economics in Boston, MA (CSEC's expert witness in thecurrent Maryland Public Service Commission proceeding on CalvertCliffs-3), solar power entrepreneur Albert Nunez, and others. And thenwe want to hear your comments! All of your comments will be transcribedand submitted to the Maryland PSC to become part of the official record.

If you're concerned about Maryland's energy future, want to stop globalwarming, want to reduce air pollution, want lower utility bills, or wantto make sure we're not endangering future generations, now is the timeto make your voice heard.

Shameful History of Arming Sudan Mars Beijing's Reputation on Eve of Olympics

AUGUST 6, 2008

New York, NY- China has been the most egregious violator of the global arms embargo on Darfur, supplying guns and ammunition to the Sudanese government that have been transferred into the region, according to a new issue brief released by the Arms and Security Initiative at the New America Foundation. Since 2004, the vast majority of Sudan's small arms and light weapons have come from China, and many of them have found their way into the hands of the notorious Janjaweed militias in Darfur.